Somalia: Dr Hawi Abdi, 73, Passes Away
Famed Somali doctor, Dr Hawa Abdi, has passed away at the age of 73.
Her daughter, Amina Abdi, confirmed the tragic news to local reporters. Although she did not elaborate much on her mother’s death, it is believed that the longtime doctor died on Wednesday, 5 August, in the capital of Mogadishu following a short illness.
Nicknamed “the Mother Teresa of Somalia”, Dr Abdi established a clinic for women and children in 1993. With the addition of a school and a refugee camp built on the same settlement, she has hosted and treated as many as tens of thousands of people.
In 2012, Dr Abdi was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize after standing her ground against Islamist militants who attempted to lay siege to her settlement the year before.
Somalia’s Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development paid tribute to Dr Abdi in a recent tweet: “She was a fierce advocate for the rights of Somali women & children & [sic] dedicated her life to providing them with free healthcare. Her legacy will live on through the lives she changed.”
She is survived by her two daughters, Drs Amina and Deqo Abdi.
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